1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment and, more particularly, to a therapy cushion that integrates with a convention blood pressure meter for calibrated physical therapy and rehabilitation.
2. Description of the Background
Knee and hip injuries and the associated surgical operations frequently necessitate a prolonged regimen of physical therapy afterward. There are a variety of exercises and exercise devices used to rehabilitate a joint. The exercise devices must be carefully calibrated and provide feedback as to the exercise performance.
The monitoring of patients is necessary during physiotherapy exercises to ensure that the patient is carrying out the exercises in the prescribed fashion, and to avoid muscle fatigue, strain, and pain. Monitoring of the exercises is also necessary so that an attending therapist can keep track of progress.
As an example, motor driven rails permit rotation of a lower leg receptacle relative to a thigh receptacle. This produces a knee-joint, movement, substantially free of any weight loads, so that the mobility of the knee joint can be trained without any damaging weight loads on the ligaments. The disadvantage of the known motor-driven rail is twofold. One, a motor drive is required to calibrate the exercise (and to provide feedback) and two, the healthy leg is not involved in the movement (in the case of prolonged rehabilitation this can cause weakening and impairment of the healthy leg). The motors and electronics used in these motor-driven rails make them expensive, space-consuming, and difficult to operate even by trained individuals. There are also a variety of cable pull and other arrangements fraught with the same disadvantages.
In light of the above, there remains a significant commercial need for a simple, more compact exercise device that nevertheless provides accurate calibrated exercise and feedback.
Sphygmomanometers are well known instruments for the measurement of arterial blood pressure. These devices typically comprise a pressure bulb with suitable valves associated therewith, an elongate cuff usually having velcro attachments for fastening to an arm or leg and a pressure bag or bladder usually formed from resilient material retained within a retaining pocket in the elongate cuff. A first air hose connects the bulb with the bladder, and a second air hose connects the bladder with a suitable metering device. The metering devices may include an analog meter (e.g. mercury manometer or aneroid dial) or digital read out. These sphygmomanometers are very accurate and comparatively inexpensive pneumatic monitoring devices, and yet they are solely used for measurement of arterial blood pressure.
There would be significant demand for a physical therapy exercise device for hip, knee, and other joint exercises that incorporates an existing sphygmomanometer to provide accurate calibrated feedback suitable for monitoring progress of physiotherapy exercises. A plurality of straps are attached to the cushion for securement to body parts and for stretching.